59th Medical Wing Paramedics expand Wilford Hall capabilities

Staff Sgt. Lucas Reaume, paramedic with the 59th Medical Wing, poses for a portrait at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Service Center, Texas, Feb. 9, 2017. The paramedics are on stand-by 24 hours a day for any medical emergencies that occur on base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Stefan Alvarez)

The Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, located at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, has a robust, multifaceted patient care program.

The one-stop-shop for medical needs is one unique aspect of Wilford Hall, including its own Emergency Medical Service teams.

Working in conjunction with the Urgent Care Center, the EMS is responsible for locating individuals experiencing medical emergencies and bringing them back to the UCC for evaluation and treatment.

“To be the pinnacle of excellence on every front of medicine is our mission,” said Staff Sgt. Andrew Hall, a paramedic at the 59th Medical Wing. “We try to be the team that is truly genuine and kind to every person we encounter, and also be the expert in all aspects of emergency medicine outside of the hospital. We strive endlessly to be the team that everyone prays in their heart they receive when the unfortunate tragedies of life strike.”

JBSA-Lackland serves as the hub for Air Force Basic Military Training. Each year, tens of thousands of trainees graduate and become full-fledged Airmen. This does not come easy, as trainees are included in the amount of the calls that EMS respond to. It is not uncommon for the summer temperatures to break into the 100s, and if the trainees are not properly hydrated, heat exhaustion and heat stroke is a very real consequence.

“At any prehospital department there will be slow days and busy days, but we exist and train for the few true emergencies that do occur, especially at WHASC,” Hall said. “Through my career, it has always been known that the WHASC has the largest call volume and enforces a high standard of EMS. There is no other place I would ever want to work as an EMS member.”

Only the best are chosen to become paramedics in the Air Force. Paramedics are the ones who do their very best to ensure patients arrive at the emergency room in a stable condition, increasing their chance of survival. They pride themselves as the paramount example of patient care, and have earned the trust of their patients, which is crucial in the medical field.

The EMS teams at Wilford Hall continue to set the bar for excellence, performing under pressure to diagnose and treat patients on-scene and en-route to a medical facility. Working as a team, these medical experts deliver patients to physicians. The ability to stand up as a leader during chaos propels them into outstanding Airmen and medical professionals.

For more information on the 59th Medical Wing and its EMS teams, visit www.59mdw.af.mil.